Paper-making machinery



'July 22, 1930. J SCQFIELD 1,771,355

PAPER MAKING MACHINERY Fil ed Sept. 7'; 1927 INVgNQOi ATTORNEY Patented July 22, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GILBERT J. soon-1mm, or ALBANY, NEW YORK PAPER-MAKIKG MACHINERY Application filedrseptember 7, 1927. Serial No. 217,908."

This invention relates to "paper-making machinery and moreparticularly to papermaking machines wherein the pulp, or mate rial from which the paper is made, is picked up by a rotating cylinder mold and transferred therefrom to a moving belt of felt or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a thoroughly practical means for maintaining the cylinder molds in condition conveniently without interrupting the oper-, -ation of the machine.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature by'means of which any portion of the cylinder mold may be quickly reached and quickly and thoroughly cleaned; A'notherobject is to provide a device of the above nature which is simple and convenient to operate. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following.

claims.

ments of this invention,

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown 'one of the various possible embodi- Figure 1 is a side elevation; V

Figure 2.is aview taken substantially as indicated by the line 2-2 in Figure 1, the middle portion of the apparatus beingbroken away, and

Figure 3,is a section taken as indicated by the line 33 in Figure 2.

Similar reference characters refer to simi lar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now-to the drawing in detail, there are shown the side walls 10 and 11 of a vat in which, mixed with water, is contained the pulp or similar material from which the paper is made. In this vat is a large cylinder 12 whose surface consists of a wire mesh, or screen 13. The cylinder-shown herein is supported by spokes l4 projecting outwardly from a hub'15 which is rotatably supported in the side walls 10 and 11 of the vat. This cylinder, with its wire wesh surface, is called a cylinder mold and it is rotated in the vat by any suitable driving means. The cylinder mold, moving through the mixture of pulp and water-in the vat, picks up, upon its wire mesh surface, a layer of the pulp and carries this material upwardly to a moving belt 16 which is of a width. substantially equal to the axial length of the cylinder. The moving belt 16 is ordinarily made of felt and its surface bearing against the surface of the cylinder mold picks up therefrom the layer of pulp and carries it along to the succeeding portions of the papermaklng machine; The cylinder molds are of substantial size, being frequently on the order of 10 feet in axial length, and ordinarily there ficult of access and, with ordinary methods it is necessary to shut down the v.

of cleaning, machine, with consequent loss of production, in order to remove an accumulation of material caught in the wire mesh. It is one of the dominant aims of this invention to pro vide a device which overcomes these diflioulties in a thoroughly practical-and eflicient manner.

Referring again tothe drawing, there is shown 'a housing extending between the two ide walls 10 and "11 of the vat and securedhereto, and comprising two longitudinal portions 17 and 18, the housing-portion 17 being I shown as slightly greater in diameter than the housing portion 18. As shown in Figure 3; the two housings are preferably in-- tegral with each other, being joined by a restricted ortion 19.

Exten ing through the housing portion 17 is a shaft 20 provided upon its'surface with a screw thread 21 which is preferably of large pitch as shown. In threaded engagement with the thread 21 is a movable member 22 having a part 23 which is slidably received in the restricted housing portion or slot which joins'the two housin portions 17 and 18. The member 22 is thus Treld against rotation b the part 23 thereof, and rotation of the sha t 20 thus moves the threaded member 22 lengthwise of theshaft, the member being moved a distance equal to the pitch of the screw thread 21 at each rotation o the shaft.

Within the housing portion 18 is a member 24 which is securedto the member 22 to move therewith, for example by means of a projection 25 on the member 24 threaded into the part 23 of the member 22. The member 24 has therethrough a fluid assage, one mouth of which is at the side 0 the member 24 and into which mouth is threaded'a pipe 25. ,The other mouth of the passage through the member 24 opens at the bottom thereof and threaded thereinto is. a pipe 26 which extends through a slot 27 in the housing portion 18. The lower end of the downwardly extending pipe 26 is provided witha bend 28 so that the end thereof is positioned adj acent,

to, and directed substantiall radially at, the surface of the c linder mol Upon the end of the pipe 26 s ositioned a nozzle-29 for directing against t e wire mesh of the cylinder mold a stream of fluid introduced to the nozzle through the pipe; 25, the member 24' and the pipe 26.

Connected to the end of the pipe 25 is a flexible hose 30 which leads from an injector 31. The injector 31 is supplied with water through a pipe 32 provided with a valve 33, and with steam through a pipe 34 rovided with a valve 35. The injector-j 31 t us supplies to the flexible pipe or hose 30 hot water for a mixture ofsteam and water at high pres- 50 sure, and this water is. delivered at high pressure through the pipe 25, the-member 24 and thelpipe 26-, to the nozzle 29. The mouth of the nozzle 29 is in the shape 'of a slot 29 and the nozzle thus projects a thin fan-shaped stream of water 36 which is of a substantially predetermined width when it strikes the wire mesh 13. -This thin blade of water, projected under high pressure against the wire mesh,

positively cleans therefroinany accumula-.

tions of pulp or foreignmaterial. By rotating the shaft 20 this stream ofwater is moved across the surface of, the rotating cylinder mold in a direction lengthwise of its axls.

The shaft 2( is supported at each end by bearings 37 and 38 ositioned in the respective ends of the housing 17. The shaft is also supported intermediate its ends by means of 4 a plurality of spaced bearing members 39 as shown in Figure 3. The bearing member 39.

Upon the end of the shaft 29 is fixed'a gear 40 which meshes with a larger gear 41.

The gear 41 is fixed upon a short shaft 42 which is rotatably supported in a housing 43 enclosing the two gears. The shaft 42 projects outwardly from the housing/43 and has fixed thereon a crank 44 by means of which the shaft is rotated. By turning the crank 44, the shaft 20 is rotated, through the gears /40 and 41, to move the nozzle across the surface of the cylinder mold. -As the nozzle is moved in one direction or the other the flexible pipe 30 moves into orout of the housing 18. The end of the housing 18 is preferably provided with a curved flange 45 to support and guide the flexible pipe 30 and obviate any sharp corners which might wear the pipe and reduce its life.

A single rotation of the crank 44 will give the nozzle 29 a movement of a redetermined length. .The parts are refera ly so proportioned that one turn 0 the crank 44 moves the nozzle a distance substantially equalto the width of the stream 36. For example, let it be assumed that the width of the stream 36 as it strikes the cylinder mold screen is four inches, and that the pitch of the screw one inch. By pro ort-ioning the gears 40 and '41 in the ratio 0 four to one, one rotation of the crank.44 causes four rotations of the shaft 20 and 'hencea movement of the fourinch'stream through a distance offour inches. .This is of great importance from a practical viewpoint. Each of the cylinder molds of a machine or of several machines is provided with the equipment shown herein. A single operator is able to thoroughly clean all of the cylinder molds throughout the extent of their surfaces, and without missing any portion thereof, quickly and without loss of time. The operator simply moves from one cylinder mold to the other in rotation, giving each of the cranks 44 one turn. During the interval between his visits to any one mold that mold has completed a rotation and the stream from the nozzle has cleaned a circumferential strip equal to the width of thestream. Another ,turn of the crank moves the nozzle to clean practical value. The cylinder molds may be enabled to clean every portion of the mold with a minimum of effort and time. If it is desired to clean only a small area of the cylinder mold surface, the nozzle may be uickly moved into position to operate upon an clean that portion while the machine continues uninterruptedly to make paper. As soon as streaks begin to ap ear in the paper, due to clogging of a cylinder mold, the condition is easily remedied at once. The cleaning operation does not weather in any way harm the wire mesh of the cylinder molds.

This apparatus makes possible the production of a uniformly better grade of paper and very materially lessens the cost of paper manufacture by cutting down waste and prevent- 'ing shut-downs.

In paper-making machines such as that illustrated herein, the distance between the belt 16 and the top of the vat 10 varies and is ordinarily not more than a few inches. The construction described herein is particularly well adapted to meet this condition. The device is small and compact and is easily modified to meet the various conditions met with in the different paper making machines with which the apparatus is adapted for use. The arrangement of the two housings 17 and 18 in a horizontal plane maintains the vertical dimension of the device at a minimum, and enables it to be fitted into position between the belt 16 and the top of the sides of the vat.

' The injector 31 places at the disposal of the operator a wide range of temperatures available at the nozzle 29. By adjusting the valves 33 and 35, the operator may obtain a stream 36 of any desired temperature, ranging from cold water to raw steam under pressure. The

- nature of the stream which is required varies under different conditions of the cylinder mold surface. It is found that frequently a high temperature is required, which, together with the force with which the stream is directed againstthe cylinder mold, softens the matted pulp and quickly carries it away. The manual operation of the device is very important, from a practical standpoint, for, as has been pointed out above, the cylinder mold does not require that the cleaning device be operated continually, and, when a portion of the surface does become clogged with pulp or other material, it is of the utmost importance that the. cleaning stream be capable of being quickly manipulated into position to clean that portion. In this manner, very substantial losses due to wasted paper and interruptions inthe operation of the machine are avoided. I

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above setforth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: j

1. In paper-making machinery, in combination, means adapted to support a layer of pulp upon its surface, means adapted to drive said pulp-supporting means, a nozzle shaped to discharge a flat jet against the surface of said pulp-supportingmeans to cleanse portions of its surface which have become fouled, sources of supply of steam and hot water, means communicating with said nozzle and leading from each of said sources of supply to provide a jet for said nozzle, and means adapted' to move said jet edgewise to direct the same against any desired portion of the surface an injector connected to each of said sources of supply, a conduit leading from said injector to said nozzle, and means adapted to move said jet to direct the same against any desired ing means.

3. In paper-making machinery, in combination, means adapted to support a layer of pulp upon its surface, means adapted to drive said pulp-supporting means, a nozzle mounted to discharge a jet against the surface of said pulp-supporting means to cleanse portions of said surface which have become fouled, means adapted to supply said nozzle with a mixture of steam and hot water under high pressure, means adapted to adjust the temperature and the pressure of said water, and manually controlled means adapted to move said jet across said surface transverse to its direction of travel to discharge said jet against any desired portion-thereof.

4. In paper-making machinery, in combination, 'means adapted to support a layer of portion of the surface of said pulp-supportpulp upon its surface, means adapted to drive said pulp-supporting means, a nozzle shaped to discharge a flat jet against the surface of said pulp-supporting means to cleanse portions of its surface which have become fouled,

a source of supply of a mixture of steam and manually-operated member and said nozzlemoving means.

5. In paper-making machinery, in comb1- nation, means adapted to support a layer of pulp upon its surface, means adapted to drive and direction of rotation of said shaft, a reversible manually-operated member, and speed multiplying gearing interposed between"- said manually-operated member and said shaft. v

6.- In paper-making machinery, in'combination, means adapted to support a layer of pulp upon its surface, means adapted to' drive said pulp-supporting means, a nozzle shaped to discharge a jet against the surface of -said pulp-supporting means to cleanse portions thereof which have become fouled, a source of supply of hot vapor under pressure, means leading from said source'of supply to said nozzle, a threaded shaft, a member threaded upon said shaft and having mounted thereon said nozzle whereby said nozzle is moved transversely of said surface in accordance with the speed and direction of rotation of said shaft, a reversible manually-operated member, and speed multiplying gearing interposed .between said manually-operated member and said shaft, the thread of said shaft being formed in one direction only and the member threaded thereon extending about the shaft.

7. In paper-making machinery, in combi-a to discharge a jet againstthe surface of said pulp-su porting means to cleanse portions of its sur ace which have become fouled, a threaded shaft extendin transversely to the direction of movement 0 said surface, a member threaded u on said shaft, a fitting connected with said member through which fluid passes to said nozzle, and laterall offset housmg portions within which sai fitting and said shaft are mounted.

9, In paper-making machinery, in combination, means adapted'to support a layer of pulp upon its surface, means adapted to drive saidpulp-supportin'g means, a nozzle shaped to d1scharge a flat jet against the surface of sad pulp-supporting means to cleanse portions of its surface which have become fouled, means adapted to move" said jet edgewise across said surface in a direction transverse to that of the movement of said surface, and manually controlled means adapted upon a single operation to move said jet throughout a distance equal to its width.

'10. In paper-making machinery, in J combination, means adapted to support a layer of pulp upon its surface, means adapted to drive said pulp-supporting means, a nozzle I shaped to discharge a flat jet against the surface of said pulp-supporting means to cleanse portions of its surface which have become fouled, a threaded shaft having a pitch equal to a fraction of the widthof said jet, means threaded upon said shaft and connected with said nozzle to move saidjet edgewise as said shaft is rotated, a manually-operated rotatable member, and speed multiplying gearing interposed between said member and said threaded shaft proportioned to rotate said shaft with each rotation of said manual member the number of times expressed by the ragp of she width of said jet to the pitch of said rea : 11 In paper-making machinery, in combination, means adapted to support a layerofi l t q g 0 1 m ld, a horizonpulp upon its surface, means adapted to drive ltally traveling Ille adapted to take PP P said pulp-supporting means, a nozzle adapted to discharge a jet against the surface of said pulp-supporting means to cleanse portions which have become fouled, a fitting through which fluid passes to said nozzle, a threaded shaft extending transversely of said pulp-supporting means. and provided with a member threaded thereon and connected with said nozzle whereby said nozzle is moved parallel to said shaft as said shaft is rotated, a housing portion about said shaft and a relatively offset housin portion about said fitting and within whlch said fitting travels, and means adapted to prevent the drainage of drip water from the bottom of saidsecond housing portion to said first housing portion.

8. In paper-making machinery, 1n combination, means adapted to support a layer of pulp upon its surface, means adapted to drive said pulp-supporting means, a nozzle shaped ing a nozzle directed toward the surface of.

the mold, means adapted to supply said nozzle with a mixture of steam and hot water under pressure, and manually-controlled means adapted to move said nozzle at will in either direction across the surface of said cylinder mold.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this s ecification this 2nd day of September, 192?.

GILBERT J; SCOFIELD. 

